We had an early morning start in order to avoid standing in a long line to tour the Anne Frank House. It is typical for lines to run 1 1/2 hours on average. The tour was very solemn and the horrors of the time were brought to mind as we imagined living in the small, dark, spaces in self-imposed silence in order to avoid detection. I couldn't remember much of the story but Otto, Anne's father, was the only one who survived and it was he who published her diary.

The bright note for the day was a trip to Keukenhof Garden where we saw acres of beautifully planted tulips along with rhododendron, azaleas, orchids, bromeliads and more.

Our expedition to dinner last night was an interesting one. We headed out for The 5 Flies (interesting name for a restaurant, no?). It was supposed to be only a 5 minute walk but after half an hour we were nowhere near the restaurant. We asked several nice people along the street, each of whom tried to help us, but no luck. We returned to the hotel and asked the bellman for better instructions. Instead of telling us, he personally escorted us to the front door of the restaurant--unparalleled service! The 5 Flies is located in a building that used to be five individual houses that have been modified to one building. They were originally built in 1627 and the interior architecture was interesting and amazing. The food was locally sourced and the chef was very creative. We enjoyed it.

Today is a free day since we didn't sign up for the official tours. I'll try to find something interesting to share later.